to top / to garnish
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to top
To surpass something, to be better or greater than something else. To beat a performance or a result.
Die Besucherzahlen dieses Jahr konnten das Ergebnis vom Vorjahr noch einmal toppen.
The visitor numbers this year were able to top last year's result once again.
to garnish
To garnish or cover a dish or drink with an additional ingredient, a topping.
Wir toppen den Eisbecher mit frischen Erdbeeren und Schokoladensoße.
We garnish the ice cream sundae with fresh strawberries and chocolate sauce.
to top
In seafaring, to raise one end of a spar, such as a yard or loading boom, higher than the other.
Der Kapitän befahl, den Ladebaum zu toppen, um die Fracht an Bord zu hieven.
The captain ordered them to top the loading boom in order to hoist the cargo on board.
The verb 'toppen' (to top) is a loanword from English ('to top'). It was adopted into German and is conjugated like a regular German verb: ich toppe, du toppst, er hat getoppt.
Niemand hat seine Leistung bisher getoppt.
No one has topped his performance so far.
You can easily recognize the meaning of 'toppen' (to top / to garnish) from the context. If it is about records, numbers, or achievements, it means 'übertreffen' (to surpass). In connection with food and cooking, it means 'garnieren' (to garnish). In texts about seafaring, it has a very specific technical meaning.
Das kann man kaum noch toppen!
That can hardly be topped!
In the meaning 'übertreffen' (to surpass), 'toppen' (to top) is often used with abstract nouns. Typical combinations are 'ein Ergebnis toppen' (to top a result), 'einen Rekord toppen' (to top a record), or 'eine Leistung toppen' (to top a performance).
Mit ihrem neuen Album konnte die Band den Erfolg des letzten noch toppen.
With their new album, the band was able to top the success of the last one.
When 'toppen' means 'garnieren' (to garnish), the additional ingredient, the topping, is introduced with the preposition 'mit' (with). The pattern is: [food] mit [ingredient] toppen.
Die Suppe wird zum Schluss mit frischen Kräutern getoppt.
The soup is garnished with fresh herbs at the end.
This meaning of 'toppen' (to top) is purely technical seafaring language. You will very likely never encounter it in normal everyday life unless you read a specialist book about ships.
Der Matrose lernte, wie man den Ladebaum korrekt toppt.
The sailor learned how to top the loading boom correctly.
to surpass
Übertreffen and toppen can both express that one performance is better than an earlier performance. Übertreffen is the neutral standard word, whereas toppen is much more colloquial and often sounds more emphatic. Übertreffen is suitable in an objective report, while toppen is also possible in casual everyday speech.
Die Sportlerin hat heute ihre bisherige Bestleistung getoppt.
Today, the athlete topped her previous best performance.
Die Sportlerin hat heute ihre bisherige Bestleistung übertroffen.
Today, the athlete surpassed her previous best performance.
